


Family Matters

by kinksock22



Series: Saving Jared [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Barebacking, Bottom Jared, Established Relationship, First Time Shifting, Happy Ending, Insecure Jensen, Light Angst, M/M, Mates, Omega Jared, Post Mpreg, RPS - Freeform, Schmoop, Self-Lubrication, Werecat Jared, cat traits, insecure jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 00:47:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5949877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinksock22/pseuds/kinksock22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen takes Jared to visit his pride and Jensen's mother finds out about Jared and their children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Matters

Jensen leans against the door to the nursery, silently watching Jared watch their children. They just turned a year old a little over a week ago and he can tell that his mate is more than a little worried. Jared huffs out a soft sigh and Jensen pushes off the doorframe and heads into the room, wrapping his arms around Jared from behind, pressing a kiss to the curve of Jared’s neck when he drops his head back against Jensen’s shoulder.  
  
“They should’ve shifted by now,” Jared mutters. His voice is still a little soft, a little rough – even more so when he’s upset or tired – but he’s still getting better, day by day.  
  
“They will in their own time,” Jensen replies softly. He can admit that he doesn’t know a lot about weres still, aside from what Jared’s told him and the research he did when he first brought Jared home with him. But according to Jared, the triplets should have shifted at a year.  
  
“What if something’s wrong?” Jared whispers. He glances over his shoulder at Jensen, hazel eyes wet and miserable. “What if I did something…”  
  
“You’ve been amazing,” Jensen cuts him off gently, pressing a kiss to Jared’s lips. He can still see the doubt, the fear in Jared’s eyes, the unasked questions. He knows they’re both thinking the same thing – what if things are different or delayed or even wrong, because Jensen is human? – but neither will voice it out-loud.  
  
“I just… I wish that we could take them to the pride, to the healer,” Jared sighs. “Or that I can at least ask my mom. I feel so lost.”  
  
Jensen tightens his hold around Jared’s lean waist, nuzzling under his jaw, trying to offer as much comfort and support as he can. He knows that it hasn’t been easy for Jared. Just being away from his pride has been hard, not to mention going through his pregnancy, the birth, and the first year of their children’s lives without the benefit of others that have been through the same thing. He can see the pain and longing in Jared’s eyes on the rare occasion that the pride is even brought up and it breaks Jensen’s heart a little every time. If he thought it’d help, or that they’d even be welcome, he’d pack them all in the car and take them right now.  
  
“I know, baby,” Jensen murmurs. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Jensen,” Jared counters softly, turning his head again, their noses brushing together. “ _You’ve_ been amazing.”  
  
“But I don’t know how to help you, or them,” Jensen argues.  
  
Jared turns around in the circle of Jensen’s arms, pressing closer against his chest, his arms coming up to loop around Jensen’s shoulders. “You help,” Jared states, soft but firm. “You’re an amazing mate and father. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more.” A soft, dimpled smile brightens Jared’s face, his eyes, and Jensen’s heart warms at the sight, just like every time Jared smiles at him. “I love you, Jen. _They_ love you. You take care of all of us.”  
  
“But if I was a were too, I’d know more of what’s goin’ on, I’d be able to put your mind at ease,” Jensen replies quietly. It’s not often that he doubts himself or being with Jared – the instances happening less and less the longer they’re together – but he’ll always have that small doubt, deep down, that Jared would be better off without him, with someone else. It’s not logical, he knows that – Jared would never be able to go back to his pride, would never find an alpha to mate with – but he can’t entirely shake the fear completely.  
  
Jared’s long, slender fingers brush against the short hair at the nape of his neck and he shakes his head, rolling his eyes slightly. Jensen barely bites back a grin. “We’ve had this discussion, _a lot_. I don’t care that you’re human, Jen. I’d chose you, no matter what, every time.”  
  
That little voice in the back of Jensen’s head, in the deepest depths of his heart, whispers that Jared can’t possibly know that, that if things hadn’t happened the way they did, if he wasn’t stolen from his pride, he wouldn’t have to settle for a human mate. Jensen pushes those dark thoughts back and slides one hand into the back of Jared’s hair, tugging him down enough to brush their lips together. At twenty-two, Jared is taller than him by a few inches, and likely not done growing. He’s changed so much, grown and gained strength; he’s tall and broad and completely beautiful. He still manages to take Jensen’s breath away.  
  
Jared grins into the kiss and Jensen’s heart lightens the rest of the way. When they pull apart, Jared keeps his eyes closed, forehead resting against Jensen’s, and sighs softly. “They’re okay,” Jared whispers. Jensen’s not sure if Jared’s finally agreeing with him or trying to convince himself but he still nods slightly and hums in agreement.  
  
Jensen slips his hand into Jared’s once they pull apart completely, their fingers lacing together. It’s late, the kids have been asleep for hours, and Jensen’s more than a little exhausted – even as kittens, raising three kids is hard freaking work. He gently pulls Jared out of the nursery and across the hall into their bedroom, pulling Jared into bed with him. Jared curls up against his chest like every night, face buried in Jensen’s neck, both of them falling asleep in seconds.  
  
Jensen jerks awake, blinking owlishly at the dark ceiling. Jared isn’t in bed with him and he frowns slightly, turning his head to glance at the clock. Only a few hours have passed and concern instantly floods through him. Pushing himself up, Jensen stumbles out of bed and across the hall. He’s not as surprised as he probably should be to find Jared sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, eyes trained on the crib.  
  
“Sweetheart?” Jensen whispers, not wanting to risk waking the kids.  
  
Jared glances up at him, smiling tiredly. “Hey,” he whispers back. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”  
  
“I don’t think so. How long you been in here?”  
  
“’bout an hour,” Jared answers distractedly, attention back on their still sleeping children.  
  
“Jared,” Jensen sighs.  
  
“I know,” Jared interrupts softly. “I do. I just. I woke up and I had this… feeling,” he cringes slightly, high cheekbones flushing a soft pink.  
  
Jensen has never doubted Jared’s instincts, as a were or as a father. He nods and wipes one hand down over his face as he moves further into the room. He sits on the floor at Jared’s feet, his head resting on Jared’s thigh. Jared’s hand comes down, gently carding through Jensen’s hair, his soft purr filling the room. Jensen can just see inside the bars of the crib so he joins Jared in watching their sleeping children.  
  
The soothing, rhythmic movement of Jared’s fingers lulls Jensen into a slight daze. But Jared’s sudden gasp and the loss of his touch jolt him back to awareness and he glances up at his mate, brow furrowed. Jared’s lips are parted, his eyes wide as he stares at the crib in front of them. Jensen finally turns his attention there as well, echoing Jared’s gasp when he sees the kids wiggling around, the slow shift of their feline bodies into their human form. They both push up to their feet and Jensen glances at Jared again, not surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes. Jensen wraps his arm around Jared’s waist and pulls him close to his side as they watch as the triplets finish their shift, three human cries breaking the silence of the room.  
  
Jared swoops in immediately, deftly picking up the two younger ones – both girls – leaving the oldest – a boy – to Jensen. Jared curls his arms around their daughters, hugging them close to his chest, cooing softly at them, purring in between, gently soothing the confusion of their first shift. Jensen follows his lead and cuddles their son close, gently rubbing his back and nuzzling against his rounded cheek. Not for the first time he wishes he could purr like Jared – the kids, in cat form and now in human form, respond to the sound. He settles for humming softly, low in his throat, the closest sound he can make. When he looks up, Jared’s smiling softly at him, tears still threatening to fall but his eyes so full of love.  
  
Jensen takes the time to get a good look at their kids in this form. He frowns slightly, concern filling him instantly, when he notices that none of them have the tails and ears that Jared retains in his human form.  
  
“Jay?” he whispers.  
  
“I know,” Jared sighs, their eyes locking together for a brief second. It always amazes Jensen when he does that. The longer they’re together, the more Jared seems to be able to just know what Jensen is thinking or feeling without him having to say a word. Jared’s got a big hand under each little bottom and he turns his head, nuzzling his nose through the soft, light chestnut-colored curls. “I guess… I mean, they’re half human, maybe that’s why.” He’s sure Jared meant that to be a statement but it mostly ends up sounding more like a question.  
  
By now, all three kids have calmed back down and fallen back asleep. Jensen gently lays their son down before helping Jared with the girls. He pulls Jared into his arms, smiling softly when Jared snuggles against his chest, tucking his head beneath Jensen’s jaw – even though he has to bend down slightly to do it. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” he admits. “I mean, it makes sense. But I just… I don’t know,” he repeats around a slightly defeated sigh. “Let’s just go back to bed, get some more sleep while we can.”  
  
Jared chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to the skin beneath Jensen’s jaw. “They’re totally gonna be an even bigger handful.”  
  
“And you were in such a hurry for them to shift,” Jensen teases, reaching up to gently tug on Jared’s hair. Jared chuckles again – practically a giggle – and it warms Jensen’s heart. He loves that sound.  
  
They settle back in bed, curled together like always. Despite what he said and the fact that he’s still extremely tired, it takes a long time for him to fall back to sleep.  
  
XXX  
  
Jared laid awake for hours, staring at the wall next to their bed, listening to the soothing sound of Jensen’s heartbeat. His mate wasn’t sleeping either but neither of them spoke. Jared had too much on his mind and he supposed Jensen did too.  
  
His babies’ cries wake him early the next morning. He pulls himself away from Jensen, quietly shushing his mate when he grumbles in his sleep. He stumbles across the hall, half-asleep. It feels like he just barely had fallen asleep before being woken up again. Honestly, it feels like he hasn’t slept a full, decent night’s sleep in months. But looking down into the crib, seeing his children, he can’t find it in himself to regret or resent it.  
  
All three of them are up, which is a little difficult to manage by himself, but he makes due. He somehow manages to get all three into his long arms – this was a lot easier when they were still kittens – and carries them into the kitchen. His mind wanders while he heats up bottles – feeding was also easier when they were kittens, he could just shift as well and feed them from his body – and while he feeds them. He can’t stop himself from staring at their heads – their hair a few shades lighter than his own – pondering again their lack of ears and tails. His guess in the middle of the night still makes sense but he doesn’t know for a fact and that worries him.  
  
He feels the absence of his pride often but he’s learned to deal with the loss. Being with Jensen helps and he meant it last night – and every other time – when he told Jensen that he couldn’t have hoped or dreamed or wished for a better mate. But even if he’d never want to trade Jensen for an alpha werecat, at times like this he can’t help but feel the absence of pride a little stronger.  
  
Just as Jared’s finishing up with the feedings, Jensen stumbles into the kitchen, eyes mostly closed. Jared smiles fondly and gets up, guiding Jensen into a chair before his poor mate falls on his face. Jensen mumbles what sounds a little like a thanks and Jared presses a kiss to the top of his head before making him a cup of coffee – he is eternally grateful for the feature that starts the machine on its own at a certain time on the mornings that he’s up before Jensen; even after all this time, he still hasn’t gotten the hang of it.  
  
Jensen groans and cradles the mug, eyes fully closed now as he takes a few big gulps. The kids are happy in their high-chairs so Jared sets about cleaning up the bottles. After a few minutes Jensen reaches out and grabs his wrist, tugging until Jared ends up sitting in his lap. His mate smiles up at him, finally mostly awake now, and wraps his arms around Jared’s waist. Jared settles against Jensen’s chest, purring softly when Jensen presses a kiss to his shoulder.  
  
“Why didn’t you wake me up to help?” Jensen asks softly.  
  
“We handled it,” Jared shrugs one shoulder, smiling as their kids babble nonsensically.  
  
“Still,” Jensen murmurs.  
  
“You needed the sleep, love,” Jared says softly, dipping down to press a kiss to Jensen’s lips.  
  
Jensen reaches up and palms his cheek, his thumb brushing gently beneath Jared’s eye. “Sleep is never more important than you, or them,” Jensen insists, soft but firm. “You’re just as tired, baby. Probably more so ‘cause you’re always gettin’ up to deal with them on your own.”  
  
Jared doesn’t argue, or even comment. He doesn’t really know how to explain that it’s just a part of him. As an omega, he’s naturally nurturing and he feels like it’s his place to take care of them. Jensen is a wonderful father and helps as often as he can – as often as Jared will allow him – but it’s just in his nature to do it himself. He can’t say it’s a mother thing because he’s obviously not a female but that the closest that he can think of to try and explain and even that doesn’t quite cover it.  
  
“I was thinkin’,” Jensen continues when Jared doesn’t say anything else. Jared curls more in his lap, leaning against his broad, strong chest. Jensen tightens his hold around Jared, one hand absently rubbing up and down his side. “I know that you can’t go back to your pride but is visiting completely out of the question as well?”  
  
“I… I don’t know,” Jared whispers. “I never… In my years there, no one was ever disowned…”  
  
“Then how d’you know that they would?” Jensen interrupts softly.  
  
“It’s just… something that everyone knows,” Jared sighs. “To be touched by someone other than your mate leads to disgrace…” he trails off, his eyes squeezing closed for a second or two. His voice is starting to sound harsh again, his throat aching slightly. He’s gotten much better in the last year – the last two years – but there are times it still bothers him. Mostly when he’s upset or tired. Currently he’s both.  
  
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Jensen instantly murmurs, knowing that even after all this time, and all that he’s told Jensen, it’s still hard for Jared to talk about this. “Okay, so I was also wondering something else.” Jared makes a soft, inquisitive noise, urging Jensen to go on. “How rare exactly is mating with a human? Did anyone do that while you were there?”  
  
“It’s rare,” Jared replies quietly. “The last time happened when my parents were still children. Why?”  
  
“I just wondered… ‘cause of their differences,” Jensen replies just as quietly, jerking his chin at their kids.  
  
Jared pulls away enough to look at Jensen, his brow furrowing. “What’re you thinking?”  
  
“I’m thinkin’ that we pack up the kids and take a drive,” Jensen flashes him a soft, loving smile, “and we go visit your family, hopefully get some answers, some peace of mind.”  
  
Several emotions swamp Jared. He desperately wants to see his parents, his siblings, wants to let them know he’s okay and that’s happy, even if they’ve already let him go. He wants to show off his beautiful mate and children and ask his momma all the things he’s so unsure on. He’s afraid that they’ll shun him completely the moment he sets foot on pride ground. And he’s terrified that somehow, someway, Jensen or their children may be hurt.  
  
“Jensen,” he breathes, shaking his head slightly. “I-I don’t know…”  
  
Jensen’s eyes are soft, full of love and understanding. “It can’t hurt to try, Jay,” he says quietly, gently, one hand rubbing up and down Jared’s side.  
  
Jared wants to argue, he really does. As much as Jared’s explained as best as he can and as much as Jensen has looked into it himself, he still doesn’t really understand where Jared comes from, doesn’t understand how pride works. Weres aren’t necessarily violent but they can be if they feel the need. There are so many unknown factors and Jared doesn’t want to expose his mate and children to that. But Jensen looks so sincere and, deep down, worried, that Jared can’t find it in himself to make the arguments that he knows he should. So he nods, curling up again against Jensen’s chest, his eyes sliding closed. He may be just an omega – the most docile of the genders – but he can damn well defend Jensen and their children if need be.  
  
XXX  
  
Jared’s unusually quiet for the next week while Jensen plans their trip and they get used to dealing with human babies instead of kittens. The kids are a handful and keep them both on their toes but Jensen can see the worry hiding just barely beneath the exhaustion in Jared’s eyes. On more than one occasion he considers calling the whole thing off but he knows that Jared needs this, even if he’ll never, ever admit it.  
  
The drive from Dallas to just outside San Antonio should only take about four hours. It’s a stressful drive; the kids have never been in the car or even outside other than in their fenced-in backyard and they’re bright and curious and hyper – a lot like Jared when he’s not worried or guarded. On more than one occasion, Jensen has to pull over and help Jared calm them down, or let them out to run and play for a bit, then help Jared wrangle them back into the car. Perhaps taking them along for the first visit wasn’t the brightest of ideas but Jensen knows that Jared wouldn’t have left them behind, even if there was someone to watch them. Since mating with Jared and having the triplets, Jensen has completely isolated himself from his friends and family. He’s not ashamed of Jared, not in the least, but he also doesn’t know really how to explain things and he doesn’t want to expose Jared to the inevitable stares and questions. He knows that he can’t do it forever – his family is used to him dropping off the radar when he’s writing but he’ll eventually have no choice but to return the missed calls. He can’t think about that now though. One problem at a time.  
  
Six hours later, following Jared’s softly given directions, Jensen stops the car on the outskirts of a dense wooded area. He can’t help but peer through the trees, trying to see signs of life. Jared chuckles softly and Jensen’s attention snaps to him. He hasn’t heard his mate laugh in a week and it’s like music to his ears.  
  
“No one will be this close to the edge of the woods, Jen,” Jared explains softly around a smile, dimples flashing briefly at Jensen. “We have a bit of a walk until we’ll run into anyone.”  
  
Jensen nods and reaches over, gently grabbing the back of Jared’s neck, looking deep into his eyes. “We’ll be fine, sweetheart,” he murmurs, acknowledging for the first time the fear that he’s seen in Jared since he brought up the idea of coming here. Jared’s smile dims, tears glistening in his eyes. “I promise you,” Jensen adds before leaning in and brushing their lips together.  
  
Once they pull away and get out of the car, Jared grabs the girls and Jensen grabs their son. He flashes Jared a soft smile as they head into the woods. They’re both quiet as they walk, listening to the kids’ excited, nonsensical babbling. Jensen swears the further they get into the trees that he can feel the heavy weight of many pairs of eyes following them. But looking intently around them shows no signs of it.  
  
Jared stops after they’ve been walking for probably fifteen minutes. He glances around, the look in his eyes unreadable. “This is the edge of pride ground,” Jared eventually murmurs, glancing briefly at Jensen. “Last chance to turn back. Someone will have sensed us by now,” he adds quietly.  
  
They’re standing side-by-side, shoulders brushing and Jensen reaches out, wrapping his free arm around Jared’s waist. “That’s up to you,” Jensen answers softly.  
  
Before Jared can reply, the bushes in front of them rustle and part, reveling a huge yellow cat. Jared tenses slightly beneath Jensen’s arm but he doesn’t move, just tilts his head to the side, his eyes narrowed slightly as he makes eye contact.  
  
“Chad?” Jared eventually whispers.  
  
The air around the cat seems to shimmer briefly and then within a split-second there’s a blonde man standing in front of them, his eyes narrowed, ears and tail twitching slowly. “Jared?” the man breathes, blinking owlishly. Jared makes a soft noise in the back of his throat and Jensen can feel him trembling slightly. Jared swallows thickly and nods, tears once again filling his eyes. “Holy crap, man,” he guy – Chad, Jensen supposes – quickly closes the small distance between them, his arms outstretched. He stops abruptly though when he gets close, not sure how to hug Jared around the girls. Jared smiles faintly, his lips trembling, and Chad settles for gripping his shoulder. “Dude, we thought… Where the hell’ve you been?” He stops talking, his nose wrinkling slightly and his attention snaps to Jensen then back to Jared. “JT?” he asks, his voice low, uncertain.  
  
“It’s a really long story,” Jared eventually replies quietly. “And I promise I’ll tell you everything.” He glances at Jensen, flashing him a quivering smile. “This is Jensen,” he breathes, turning back to Chad, “my mate. And these are of course our kids. Jensen, this is Chad,” Jared glances at Jensen again, a few tears breaking free to trickle down his cheeks, “my best friend since we were cubs.”  
  
Jensen nods when Chad glances at him but the blonde were’s attention quickly returns to Jared. “Man, your folks’re gonna flip, dude. It’s been… It’s not been easy,” he says quietly. “C’mon, we best get goin’, ‘m sure someone has ran off by now and spread the word that you’re here. Gen was lurking around as well as Stephen.” Chad grins, his beady blue eyes sparkling a little in the late afternoon light. “’s good to see you, Jaybird,” he adds. “Want me to take one’a them?” he adds, gesturing to where the girls are clinging to Jared’s neck, unnaturally quiet and still.  
  
“Nah, I got ‘em,” Jared shakes his head, smiling softly. “Kinda get used to having to juggle more than one when there’s three of them but just two of us,” he adds with a soft chuckle.  
  
XXX  
  
Chad turns and starts leading them further into the trees, closer to the center of pride ground. Jared’s heart is pounding in his chest and he leans closer to Jensen, taking strength from his mate’s steady, silent presence. Seeing Chad had been a shock and he’d prepared himself for the worst but he should’ve known that the boy that he’d grown up with, that had been his best friend, would be the one he could count on to welcome him back, even if he still had a ton of questions.  
  
For the first time in two years, Jared spreads his senses out as they walk, able to faintly sense a few others surrounding them but keeping their distance. He can’t tell who but none of them feel like family although they do feel familiar. He’s still on edge, senses sharp. Just because Chad was welcoming doesn’t mean everyone will be; Chad’s always been one to mostly go against the grain.  
  
The Chad that Jared remembers was hyper and fun loving but the man that his friend has become seems more serious, more grown up. He can still see the playful cub in those glittering blue eyes but he’s subdued in a way that Jared never saw before. It’s a bit disconcerting but he can understand. Jared’s mere presence here is bound to be confusing and upsetting.  
  
Jensen is silent next to him, one hand pressed to the small of his back. Jared takes comfort in the touch, reminding himself that no matter what happens here today, he still has Jensen and their kids.  
  
Chad stops on the outskirts of the center of pride ground, turning his attention fully to Jared again. “You wanna go right to your parents’ or stop by mine first?”  
  
“My parents,” Jared answers quietly, his heart and stomach flipping and churning almost painfully. “You’ll come with us, right?” he asks, barely above a whisper.  
  
“Hell yeah, man,” Chad smirks, reaching up to squeeze Jared’s shoulder again. “Ain’t no way I’m missin’ this for anything, dude. ‘sides, you owe me one hell of a story. Figure it’d probably be easier just to tell it once to me and your folks.”  
  
They continue on and Jared can feel the eyes of probably more than half the pride on them as they walk. He keeps his head held high, staying close to Jensen’s side. He can feel his mate’s tension and concern just by the touch of his hand still on the dip of his spine, can feel the curiosity and slight apprehension from their children – it always makes him sad to think about the fact that Jensen won’t ever have the same kind of bond with the kids, that he won’t ever be able to _feel_ them, sense them, like Jared can – and it ratchets up his own tension and worry.  
  
Word travels fast on pride ground, it always has, and Jared can see his parents standing in front of their house before they even get halfway there. His momma is curled into his daddy’s arms, her eyes glistening with tears, and he can feel a few faint emotions coming from her. His throat is tight and he’s barely holding back tears of his own when they stop in front of them. He lets Jensen take one of their girls and Chad grabs the other, his whole body trembling as his parents look him over.  
  
“Jared,” his momma whispers, blinking rapidly, obviously trying to fight back the tears but a few still break free. She pulls away from his dad and instantly pulls him into her arms. Jared barely bites back a sob and dips down, burying his face in the warm curve of her neck. She smells like home and family and love and Jared squeezes his eyes closed, letting her hold him for a few long moments. He can distantly hear Chad shooing the rest of the pride away, can feel Jensen hovering close to his back and can feel his children’s constant, steady, warm presence in the back of his mind but for the moment it all fades away and he’s a child again, clinging to his momma.  
  
She eventually pulls away, just enough to reach up and cup his cheeks, her small hands warm and soft. “We thought…” she trails off, swallowing thickly. Her hazel eyes – so much like his own – flicker to Jensen, the kids, before turning back to him. “Come inside,” she says instead of whatever she was going to say. “We have a lot to catch up on.”  
  
Jared nods and follows his parents, Chad and Jensen following behind him. Jeff and Megan – he can’t help but think about the fact that during all three of his momma’s pregnancies that she only had one cub, he’d never thought about that before, but now can’t stop the thought since he’s had his own litter; single cub births are rare – are inside and his baby sister lets out a soft, choked sob and nearly throws herself at him. She was only ten when he was taken and he can barely see the pigtailed brat that he loved to tease in the beautiful woman she’s becoming. Jared hugs her back, squeezing his eyes closed. He can hear Jeff and his dad taking the children into one of the back rooms and he’s eternally grateful. They may only be a year old but he doesn’t want them exposed to the story he’s going to have to tell.  
  
Megan finally lets him go, giving him a watery smile as she wipes at the tears streaking down her cheeks. Jared gives her a soft smile in return then turns to his mate, smile brightening slightly when his eyes meet Jensen’s. They sit down together on the couch, hips pressed together, Jensen a solid, warm presence beside him, giving Jared strength that he didn’t think he had.  
  
When Jared’s father and brother return and everyone is finally settled down, all their expectant gazes on Jared, he clears his throat and looks at each of them in turn. “First,” he starts softly. “This is Jensen,” he glances at his mate, taking courage from the love shining in the emerald-green eyes he loves so much. “He… He’s the one that saved me. And he’s also my mate,” he adds, knowing that it’s no use trying to lie about it. They may not be able to scent Jensen’s claim on him the way they would with another werecat but surely they can scent Jared on Jensen.  
  
His momma makes a choked sound in the back of her throat and he looks back at her, the tears shimmering in her eyes breaking his heart a little. “What happened, Jared?” she whispers.  
  
Jared sighs softly and tells his story. He leaves out the grittier details, not wanting to subject anyone to them and not wanting to relive them himself. But he does give them enough so that they at least get the picture of how he was abused and hurt for so long. He smiles through his own tears when he gets to the part where Jensen saved him, his mate’s hand slipping into his, their fingers gently squeezing together. He tells his family about how wonderful Jensen was – is – and how he cared for Jared, how they fell in love and that he chose to take Jensen as his mate then finishes up with the birth of their children.  
  
The room is silent for a few long moments. Jared can sense all the emotions running through his family, but it’s all too much, leaving him dizzy and unable to really figure out what any one member is feeling. It’s been so long since he’s been with his own kind, since his been able to open up his full senses and actually _feel_ – he can a bit with Jensen, mainly the strongest emotions, but mostly he goes by Jensen’s scent. There are tears in his momma’s eyes and Megan’s outright crying. His daddy looks murderous and Jeff’s face is thunderous. Surprisingly, Chad’s the worst one of all. In the fourteen years that they were friends and hung out every day, Jared never saw Chad show real, true emotion. But now, his fun-loving best friend has tears in his eyes and his hands are curled into tight fists.  
  
“What happened to the bastards?” Chad grits out.  
  
Jared doesn’t know. He never asked and Jensen never told him. He looks to his mate, blinking slowly at the flash of anger he sees cross Jensen’s face. Jensen is easy-going, always has been. Jared hasn’t ever seen him outright angry before, even when Jensen first brought him home.  
  
“I have two friends that’re cops,” Jensen eventually answers quietly, looking between Chad and Jared’s family. “They arrested the people that ran the circus, the ones that actually took Jared…”  
  
“What about the fuckers that… hurt him?” Chad asks.  
  
“I don’t know,” Jensen admits. He glances at Jared, licks his lips nervously, before turning his attention back to Chad. “There were tapes…”  
  
Jared’s stomach turns and his eyes widen. He didn’t know that. “Jensen?” he whispers, throat tight.  
  
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jensen murmurs, reaching up to palm his cheek. “I never wanted you to know that.”  
  
“Did you see them?” Jared rasps.  
  
Jensen opens his mouth, closes it, then sighs softly. Jared looks away, tears stinging his eyes. “Jay…” Jared shakes his head, squeezes his eyes closed. Jensen wraps his arm around Jared’s shoulders, pulls him tighter against his side, presses a kiss to his temple. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he repeats. “Steve and Chris came over and I stole one of them… I don’t even know why. I mean, I knew what they did… I’m sorry,” he repeats once more, dipping his head to brush his lips across Jared’s. “Baby, please?”  
  
Jared glances up, unable to resist the emotion, the pleading in Jensen’s tone. There are tears in Jensen’s eyes. Jared swallows thickly and leans against his mate, nuzzling under his jaw. He _hates_ the thought that Jensen saw any of what happened to him – knowing is one thing but actually seeing it is something else – but it was two years ago and he’s not going to let something like that come between them. It hurts that Jensen never told him, sure, but he actually understands. At the time, he wouldn’t have responded well to knowing the truth and once they mated, they both worked hard to get over what happened and it was never really brought up again.  
  
“’s okay,” Jared whispers, giving Jensen a watery smile.  
  
Jensen lets out a heavy exhale and wraps his other arm around Jared, squeezing him in a brief hug. “I love you,” he whispers against Jared’s temple, presses a kiss there.  
  
“I love you, too,” Jared whispers back.  
  
XXX  
  
Jensen honestly never wanted Jared to know that he saw what happened to him. He hated lying about something so big – or well, lying by omission, but still – he really had the best of intentions.  
  
To Jensen’s surprise, Jared’s momma turns to him, a few tears finally breaking free to trickle down her cheeks. “Thank you for saving our son,” she says softly, sincerely.  
  
Jensen slides one hand into Jared’s hair out of habit – it’s a soothing gesture for both of them – keeping Jared nestled against his side. “There was no way that I could leave him there,” Jensen replies honestly.  
  
She nods, flashing him a slightly strained smile. “But as grateful as we are… Jared, sweetheart, perhaps we should continue this conversation in private.”  
  
Jared tenses, his brow creasing. “That’s not necessary, momma,” he says softly. “Jensen’s my mate…”  
  
“He’s human,” Jared’s dad interrupts. “And as your mother said, we’re grateful but this is something that should be discussed between family.”  
  
“Jensen _is_ my family,” Jared counters. “He’s my _mate_ ,” he repeats.  
  
“He’s not a real mate, Jared,” his dad frowns, shaking his head, “Mating with humans…”  
  
“Is rare, I know. But it’s been done.”  
  
“Not recently. And it’s not just rare, Jared, it’s nearly nonexistent. In our pride history, over two hundred years, only three have chosen to be with a human. As I said, it’s not a real mating,” Jared’s father states firmly.  
  
“Well, I guess that makes me the fourth,” Jared snaps. Jensen can feel the tension thrumming through Jared’s body and it pisses him off. Frankly, this whole damn pride thing pisses him off but he was willing to overlook how he felt about it in order to try and give Jared some peace of mind. Now he wishes they had just stayed home.  
  
Jared looks between his parents, tears pooling in his eyes. “I couldn’t come home,” he whispers, shaking his head.  
  
“That’s not true,” Jared’s mother interrupts. “Jared, you could have. You _should_ have.”  
  
“How? I was… You know what happened to me. You would’ve scented it the moment I stepped back on pride land. And I know that being touched by someone other than your mate means disgrace, means being disowned.”  
  
“You still could’ve come back,” she argues quietly.  
  
“And been shunned?” Jared asks incredulously. “Been talked about, stared at? Forced to be alone for the rest of my life?”  
  
“That wouldn’t…”  
  
“Of course it would!” Jared yells, cutting off whatever his mother was about to say. “My fault or not, I was still touched by others, unclean, impure. No alpha would’ve even looked my way!”  
  
The room is quiet for a few long moments after Jared’s shout. Jared is vibrating with anger and hurt and Jensen’s ready to get their kids and get the fuck out of here. But before he can make a move, a voice from the doorway says softly, simply, “That’s not true.”  
  
Jared and Jensen both turn, noticing for the first time another person standing there. He’s probably a few years older than Jared, obviously muscular and sort of good looking. He’s staring at Jared, an unreadable look on his face.  
  
“Stephen?” Jared asks softly, head tilted, brow furrowed.  
  
“Hey, Jared,” Stephen replies just as softly, quirking a half smile.  
  
“What’re you… How long’ve you been here?”  
  
“Long enough,” Stephen shrugs one shoulder. “I, uh, I was kinda hanging around outside, trying to give you a chance to talk to your family without interrupting…”  
  
“So you were just eavesdropping on a conversation that has nothing to do with you?” Jared frowns. Jensen bites the inside of his jaw to keep from smiling.  
  
“Actually,” Jared’s dad cuts in, “this conversation very much involves him.”  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“Because he’s your alpha,” he states simply.  
  
“What?” Jared repeats. “Uh, no he’s not.”  
  
“Actually, I am,” Stephen smiles, moving further into the room. He stops and kneels down in front of Jared, one hand sliding over Jared’s knee. Before Jensen can reach out and break his hand, Jared pushes it away. “Jared,” Stephen sighs.  
  
“No,” Jared insists, looking from Stephen to his father then back. “I have no idea what the hell y’all are talking about.”  
  
“When you first presented, we arranged for you to mate with Stephen when you were old enough,” Jared’s mom explains softly, smiling at Stephen.  
  
“Arranged…” Jared repeats, nose wrinkling, his brow furrowed. “That’s not… Why would you do that? That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”  
  
“Stephen is a good alpha, strong and smart, and we knew that he’d be good for you. Good _to_ you. When you presented, he came to us and asked for your hand. We accepted.”  
  
“Without even discussing it with me?!” Jared grits out. “What’s… That’s… I can’t even…”  
  
Stephen, who has yet to acknowledge the fact that Jensen is sitting _right there_ and still has his arm around Jared, reaches out and cups the side of Jared’s face. Jared scoffs and pulls his head back, leaning even more into Jensen’s side. “Jared, it’s okay,” Stephen murmurs. “I know that you didn’t think you could come back, that you were afraid and confused. But what happened to you… That wasn’t your fault,” Jensen hates this guy simply on principle but at least _someone_ finally has the decency to say that out-loud, “You _can_ come home. I, we all, want you to. It doesn’t matter that people hurt you. I’ll still accept you. You’re still my mate.”  
  
Jensen has had e-Goddamn-nough. “ _I’m_ his mate,” he growls.  
  
Stephen finally turns to Jensen, one eyebrow raised. “You’re a human,” he scoffs. “You can’t mate with him. You can’t claim him. He’s not yours. He never was.” Stephen turns to Jared, reaching for him again. “Come on now, Jared. Stop this nonsense and come home. You don’t have to settle for… for this human.”  
  
Jared tilts his head, eyes narrowing, as he looks down at Stephen then to his parents, his siblings. Jensen’s heart slams against his ribs, all the doubts and insecurities he’s ever had come rushing back. He can’t help but think about the worry that Jared was only with him because he had no other choice. Now he _has_ a choice. An alpha that is willing to overlook the – admittedly stupid – fact that he’s been touched by others and give him things that Jensen can’t. Here’s his chance to be with someone like him, someone who can claim him properly and understand him in ways that Jensen can’t, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how much he loves him.  
  
A soft, beautiful smile curls up Jared’s lips and Jensen’s sure that this is it. But instead of moving away from Jensen like he’s expecting, Jared shakes his head, his body relaxing, melting into Jensen’s side, as he slides one hand over Jensen’s thigh.  
  
“I wanted nothing more than to be able to come home,” Jared starts softly. “For the six years that they had me, that’s all I could think about. Then I met Jensen,” Jared glances at him then, hazel eyes so full of love and devotion that it takes Jensen’s breath away, “and he did just that,” he adds, turning back to his family. “He got me away from those horrible men and he took me home. And despite what happened to me, despite how hard it was in the beginning, despite our differences, we fell in love. I’m not with him because I had no other option. I _chose_ him. I still choose him.” He stands up, pulling Jensen up by the hand as well. “You may say that we’re not really mates but I don’t care what you think. He’s the one I love, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. He’s the father of my beautiful children. All that makes him my mate.  
  
I wanted to come here to let you know that I’m okay. And I’ve done that. I thought that I needed help or guidance with our kids but I realize now that I really don’t. I may not know what the hell I’m doing but I’ll figure it out.”  
  
Without another word to anyone, Jared walks out of the room, into the back of the house. He returns a few moments later, all three kids clinging to him, his long arms wrapped around them. Jensen smiles and grabs their son then leans in to press a kiss to Jared’s lips.  
  
“Let’s go home,” Jared whispers.  
  
Jensen has never heard three more wonderful words. Except for I love you of course.  
  
XXX  
  
Jared doesn’t look back as he walks out of his parents’ house, his head held high. His emotions are all over the place at the moment but he refuses to show it, even if every were around them can sense it. Before they get too far, Chad and Megan call his name, running to catch up with them.  
  
Megan gives Jared a small smile and leans up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’m glad that you’re okay, JT,” she says softly. “And I’m glad that you’ve found a mate that makes you happy, that takes care of you.”  
  
Jared smiles down at his little sister, swallows around the emotion clogging his throat. “Thanks, Meggie,” he whispers.  
  
“I don’t care what momma and daddy say,” she adds. “Jensen’s totally okay in my book.”  
  
Jared chuckles softly and dips down, kissing her cheek. “Thanks,” he repeats. “Maybe you can come visit some time.”  
  
“I’d like that,” she grins.  
  
Jared glances over when he sees Jensen shifting their son around, frowning slightly when he sees Jensen reaching into his back pocket to get his wallet out. He can’t help but smile, his heart bursting with love, as he watches Jensen pull out a small white card and hand it to Megan. “This is my contact information,” Jensen tells her. “Email and phone. Any time that you wanna get in touch,” he adds pointedly, giving her that soft smile of his that Jared loves so much.  
  
“Thank you, Jensen,” she whispers, once again blinking back tears. Jared’s heart warms even more when she bounces up on her tippy-toes and presses a kiss to Jensen’s cheek before running back toward their parents’ house.  
  
Jared watches her go, smiling fondly, before turning back to Chad. “C’mon, dude. I’ll walk y’all back to your car,” Chad mutters, jerking his chin toward the woods.  
  
Jared smiles, nodding. “Thanks,” he says simply.  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Chad sighs, rolling his eyes. Jared chuckles. Despite everything, Chad still seems to be on his side. “Dude, I had no idea about that shit with Stephen,” he eventually states after several moments spent walking in silence. “He’s such a freaking douche. I can’t believe your folks would do that.”  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Jared shrugs. “I’ve already got my mate,” he flashes a grin at Jensen then turns back to Chad. “I just… I knew there was a chance that they wouldn’t accept me, us. But I hoped, ya know?” He sighs, shaking his head. “But like I said, doesn’t matter. I wanted to let them know I was alive and safe and happy and loved. And I did that.”  
  
“I get that. But I gotta ask, JT. Why now?” Chad asks quietly. “It’s been two years…”  
  
“Honestly, it took a long time for me to even start to get better,” Jared replies softly. “But mostly, I… The kids just shifted for the first time last week. And them being part human… I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and as stupid as it is, I just wanted…” Jared trails off, sighing softly. “I wanted my momma,” he whispers. “I’m just… I guess I’m just worried about them, ya know? And I thought she’d be able to put my mind at ease.”  
  
“I get it,” Chad nods. “But they seem fine…”  
  
“Have you looked at them?” Jared whispers.  
  
“So they don’t have ears and tails,” Chad shrugs. “You said it yourself, man. They’re half human.” They’ve reached the outer edge of pride ground and Chad stops, one hand on Jared’s shoulder getting him to stop as well. “You can sense them right?” he asks, once again uncharacteristically grown-up. Jared nods. “Then if there was something wrong, you’d know. Don’t doubt yourself, Jaybird. You’ve always been nurturing and shit,” ah, there’s the Chad Jared remembers. “So I’m sure you got this fatherhood thing down, dude.”  
  
“Thanks, Chad,” Jared smiles.  
  
“Whatever, man. You don’t need me to tell you this shit. Just listen to your instincts.”  
  
They walk the rest of the way back to the car in silence. Jensen helps put the kids into the car then gets in himself, giving Jared and Chad a moment alone. “If you ever wanna come visit or get in touch…”  
  
“I’ll get the info from Megs,” Chad interrupts, nodding. “I’ll totally take you up on that. Always wanted to check out the big city, man.”  
  
Jared pulls Chad into a quick hug, squeezing him tight for a moment. “Thanks again, man,” Jared whispers.  
  
“You’ll always be my best friend, JT,” Chad pats him on the back before pulling away. “Now go on, get outta here. I’ll be in touch.”  
  
Jared nods, smiling as he watches Chad shift and head off into the woods. Jensen turns to him as soon as he gets into the car, one hand reaching up to grip the back of Jared’s neck. “You okay?” Jensen asks softly.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared breathes. Jensen brings his other hand up, cupping Jared’s cheek. Jared leans into the touch gratefully, his eyes slipping closed. “I just wanna go home,” he whispers.  
  
Jensen brushes a soft, sweet kiss to his lips and Jared’s eyes flutter open when he pulls back. “Thank you,” Jensen murmurs.  
  
“For what?” Jared smiles softly, confused.  
  
“For everything,” Jensen replies simply. “For being you. For loving me.”  
  
“That’s easy,” Jared laughs softly. “You definitely don’t have to thank me for that.”  
  
“Still,” Jensen shrugs.  
  
Jared leans forward, their foreheads pressing together. “Let’s just get outta here.”  
  
The drive back home is much less eventful. The kids sleep the entire way, which Jared is more than grateful for. They don’t even wake up when him and Jensen get home and carry them inside. Jared spends a few moments in the nursery with them, watching them sleep, before quietly leaving the room. He finds Jensen in the living room, sitting on the couch in the dark, staring at the turned-off TV.  
  
“You okay, love?” Jared asks softly, sitting down beside him, curling up against his side.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen breathes.  
  
Jared nuzzles under his jaw, closes his eyes. Jensen smells sad and Jared hates that. “Wanna try that again and maybe tell the truth this time?” Jared whispers.  
  
Jensen wraps his arm around Jared, pulls him closer, turns and presses his lips to the top of Jared’s head. “I guess I’m just thinkin’,” Jensen sighs after a few long moments.  
  
“About?” Jared urges, pulling back far enough to look at Jensen.  
  
“Stupid things that I shouldn’t be thinkin’ about.”  
  
“About Stephen, right? What my parents said?” The room is dark but Jared’s got excellent night vision and he can see Jensen perfectly, can see his eyes slide closed, the slight furrow of his brow. Jared sighs softly and crawls into Jensen’s lap, both hands coming up to cup Jensen’s face. “Jensen, don’t,” he murmurs.  
  
Jensen sighs softly, licks his lips, looks into Jared’s eyes even though he probably can’t see him very well right now. “I’m tryin’,” he whispers. “It’s just… They didn’t say anything that I haven’t already thought myself. Haven’t worried about this whole time…”  
  
“I’ll repeat what I said in case you weren’t listening back there,” Jared huffs. “I _love_ you, okay? I choose you. I still chose you. I don’t want Stephen or anyone else, Jen. I never have.” Jared leans forward, brushing a kiss to Jensen’s lips. “What’s this about?” he asks softly.  
  
“I…” Jensen sighs, closes his eyes, “I’ve always worried that you’re with me because you had no other choice,” he admits quietly, voice strained. “I mean, you told me from the beginning that you couldn’t go back, that no alpha would want you… And I just… I know you love me, Jay. I do. But in the back of my head, I’ve always wondered if there was another option, if you could be with someone like you…” he trails off, sighing again. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Jared leans forward, his forehead pressing against Jensen’s, their noses brushing together. “I would’ve still picked you,” he whispers. “No matter the circumstances.” He closes his own eyes, nuzzles their cheeks together. “I had the chance today, Jen,” he states softly. “If I wanted that, if I wanted an alpha and to return to my pride, I had that chance. And I’m here, with you. And I would’ve made the same choice if you’d taken me back two years ago. This, you, you’re it for me. Please believe that, believe me?”  
  
Jensen slides his hands up Jared’s back, fingers gripping his hair. He tilts Jared’s head, slots their lips together, wet and hungry and desperate. Jared moans softly, mindful of their children sleeping just down the hall, and kisses back. “I do,” Jensen breathes against his lips, barely stopping the kiss long enough to speak. “I do, baby. I’m sorry.”  
  
“Shh,” Jared murmurs. “’s okay. Love you.”  
  
“Love you too,” Jensen rasps.  
  
The kiss deepens impossibly more, Jensen gripping his hair, tugging on the strands. Jared can feel Jensen hardening and rocks his hips down, rubbing against the bulge. He’s hard too, the first pulses of slick leaking from his hole, and he writhes in Jensen’s lap, mewling and whimpering, biting at Jensen’s lips. “Please,” he breathes. “Jen…”  
  
Jensen drops one hand to his ass, fingers squeezing his cheek, hips grinding up against his. Jared pulls away from the kiss with a gasp, pulls back enough to rip his t-shirt off over his head, pawing at Jensen’s, growling softly when his mate doesn’t lift his arms fast enough. “Off,” Jared huffs, tugging at the hem.  
  
Jensen reaches down and helps him pull the shirt off, grabbing Jared’s hair again before it even hits the floor, pulling him back into another wet, messy, desperate kiss. Things have never been this way between them, even during Jared’s heat, even the first time they mated. Sure, it’s always been passionate and loving and intense but this just feels different somehow.  
  
Jared wraps his arms around Jensen’s shoulders, chests pressed together, hips rocking, as they continue to kiss. Jensen drops his hands, somehow shoving them into the nearly nonexistent space between them and Jared can feel him tugging at his jeans. He moans into Jensen’s mouth when Jensen finally manages to get them undone, fresh pulse of slick oozing from his entrance when Jensen shoves his hands beneath the material, shoving them down his hips, palming the cheeks of Jared’s ass. He uses the hold to rock Jared down harder against him and Jared pulls away, panting.  
  
Moving is the last thing Jared wants to do but they both need to be naked. Now. He reluctantly stands up, quickly stripping off the rest of his clothes. Jensen doesn’t hesitate to do the same, pushing his jeans and boxer briefs down with one hand, reaching for Jared with the other. Once they’re both naked, Jared crawls back in Jensen’s lap, moaning when their cocks brush together.  
  
“Jen…” Jared breathes, gripping his mate’s shoulders, fingers digging into thick muscle.  
  
Jensen reaches down and grabs the base of his own cock, holding himself steady, his other hand on Jared’s hip. “C’mon, baby,” he urges, voice a whiskey-rough growl that makes Jared tremble. Jared lifts up onto his knees, letting Jensen’s hand guide him, then sinks down on the hard, thick length of his mate’s cock. They both moan, arms wrapping around each other, holding on tight. Jared stops once Jensen’s buried to the hilt and closes his eyes, his chest heaving, whole body shaking. “Jay,” Jensen murmurs, hands sliding down his sweat-slick back, down over his ass, touching everywhere he can, hands in constant motion.  
  
Jared drops his head, buries his face in the curve of Jensen’s neck, nipping and licking over Jensen’s thundering pulse. He picks up a quick pace, grinding down, thighs tightening around Jensen’s lean hips. Jensen’s head falls forward against Jared’s shoulder, fingers digging into Jared’s hips harder, holding him as close as possible while he thrusts up as best as he can. There’s no way that they’re going to last like this – Jared can already feel the stirrings of his release, the base of his spine tingling – and as much as he’d love to slow down, make it last, he just can’t. There’s something wild and primal deep inside him, urging him on.  
  
Jensen bites down on his shoulder, slides one hand up his spine, fists the sweat-damp curls at the nape of his neck. Jared cries out, trembling as he comes completely untouched between them, the pressure of Jensen’s cock against his sweet spot nearly overwhelming. Jensen follows him almost immediately, squeezing his arms around Jared, teeth digging into muscle and flesh almost hard enough to draw blood.  
  
It takes a long time for them both to calm down, for their breathing and heart rates to return to normal. Jensen has long since softened and slid from his body but Jared stays curled up against his chest, face tucked under his jaw.  
  
“Are you okay?” Jensen eventually asks, tone raw and raspy.  
  
Jared lifts his head and kisses Jensen, slow and sweet and lazy. “’m perfect,” Jared murmurs, nuzzling their faces together.  
  
“’m sorry, Jay,” Jensen whispers. Jared drops his head back down onto Jensen’s shoulder, nuzzles under his jaw, humming softly in question. “About… About everything. What happened today, what I’ve been keepin’ from you… For goin’ crazy on you just now,” he adds quietly.  
  
“What’re you talkin’ about?” Jared asks softly, words slurred a bit. With the emotional roller coaster today has been – and having three babies and the amazing sex – he’s more than a little tired.  
  
“If I hurt you at all,” Jensen clarifies. Or well, Jared’s sure he meant it to clarify. He has no idea what the hell Jensen’s talking about.  
  
Jared pulls back enough to look at his mate’s face. “What d’you mean, hurt me?”  
  
Jensen’s fingers brush against the mark on his shoulder. “Kinda got a little carried away,” Jensen whispers.  
  
Jared chuckles softly and kisses the pout on Jensen’s lips. “That was amazing, love,” he murmurs. “And in case you didn’t notice, I went a little crazy myself.” He lays his head back down and closes his eyes. “Trust me, you didn’t hurt me at all.”  
  
Jensen squeezes his arms around Jared, presses a kiss to his temple. “You’re amazing, you know that? I love you so much.”  
  
Jared hums softly, smiling tiredly. “I love you, too,” he whispers back. Barely stifling a yawn, he adds, “Can we go to bed now? If you want, we can talk more tomorrow…”  
  
Jensen’s lips against the side of his cut him off. “No need,” Jensen replies quietly. “I’m good.”  
  
He gently nudges Jared’s hip, helps him stand up. Wrapping an arm around Jared’s waist, he leads them down the hallway to their bedroom and pulls Jared down onto the mattress with him. They’re both asleep in seconds.  
  
XXX  
  
For a few weeks, things are once again peaceful and normal. The kids are getting more and more active every day, babbling excitedly. Jared’s working on teaching them to speak, which is mostly the most adorable thing that Jensen’s ever seen. They don’t talk about the disastrous trip to Jared’s pride or Jensen keeping things from Jared or Jensen’s insecurities.  
  
Things being so good between them lulls Jensen into a false sense of security. He knows that there’s another huge problem they have to deal with – Jensen’s family and friends – but he’s somehow convinced himself to forget about it.  
  
Until his mother just shows up at his door completely unexpected and out of the blue a month after the trip to San Antonio.  
  
Jared has the kids in the back yard, all four in their cat forms, running and playing and prowling around the large, fenced-in property. But the signs of three one-year-olds are everywhere inside as well. Jensen watches his mother look around the cluttered, yet somehow controlled, chaos of their house. There are toys and coloring books spread around the living room and kitchen and down the hallway. Scribbles and swirls of color on paper hang on the walls and the fridge. There are bottles and sippy cups and little plates and spoons in the sink. Before Jared, before their kids, Jensen’s home was spotless and empty and – now he realizes – so cold. But the mess is his life now and he loves it, loves the three little mischief-makers and their daddy so much he can’t breathe with it some days.  
  
She turns to him, green eyes so much like his own – like all three kids – staring back at him wide and unblinking and he’s pretty damn sure this is the first time he’s ever seen his mother speechless.  
  
“So, there’s somethin’ I gotta tell you,” Jensen mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“I’ll say,” she finds her voice finally, once again looking around the living room. There’s a picture on the mantle, a sweet shot that Jared took with Jensen’s camera just last week, all three kids sacked out on the living room rug, curled together in a pile. They still more often than not shift in their sleep, curling around each other in their fur, but Jared managed to capture the few peaceful moments before that. Jensen had the picture framed. Jared’s eyes misted over a bit but he’d smiled that big, bright beautiful smile that lights up Jensen’s whole world and set in on the mantle.  
  
Jensen licks his lips, arms crossing over his chest as she takes a step forward, attention fully on that picture. The rest of the evidence was enough but circumstantial. She could’ve hand-waved it away as something else – one of Jensen’s friend’s has kids and is here a lot, maybe staying here for the moment, or any number of other scenarios – but that shot, in such a visible, obvious place, is what tells her that she’s actually seeing what she’s seeing.  
  
There’s an accusation and a shit-ton of hurt in her eyes when she turns back to him. Jensen barely resists flinching. It’s not that he _wanted_ to hurt her. But he wanted to protect them – his kids _and_ Jared – more.  
  
“Sit, please,” Jensen urges, sweeping one hand toward the couch. Surprisingly she does but that expectant momma look never wavers from her eyes. He sighs and rubs one hand down over his face, flops down on the table in front of her. “This is kinda a long story, so if you could just lemme get it all out?” She nods. He knows better. But he’s hopeful. “Little over two years ago…”  
  
“Two years?!” she interrupts predictably.  
  
“Mom,” Jensen sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, rubbing at the headache he can feel forming.  
  
“Sorry,” she murmurs. She does look at least a little apologetic. “Please, go on.”  
  
Jensen nods, licks his lips. “A little over two years ago, something… happened,” she opens her mouth but Jensen flashes her a glare and she shuts it, surprisingly, “I went with Josh, Annie and the kids to some stupid circus. There was this part, on the outskirts of everything else. A freak show.” Fuck but he hates that term but it’s the easiest way to explain it. “They had this huge poster advertising a cat-boy. I… I don’t even know why I went in there,” his voice breaks a bit, the memories still as clear as if it just happened, “The guy at the door… Anyway, I paid the price and went in to have a look. Inside this silver cage smaller than most bathrooms, was Jared. A real life werecat. He was… God, mom, he was so thin and dirty and the obvious signs of abuse…” he trails off again for a second, swallowing around the tightness in his throat.  
  
“Anyway, after I left, I couldn’t get the thought outta my mind. I called in a tip to Chris and Steve. It wasn’t just Jared it turns out. The condition that they kept the animals was deplorable and there were so many violations that they had no problem shutting the place down. I’m sure the other attractions in the freak show were probably all not real but Jared was really a werecat and I was afraid they’d take him to some lab somewhere and study him or dissect him or something…”  
  
“You have too active of an imagination, Jensen,” his mother interrupts softly. He really didn’t expect her to be able to keep quiet for this whole story. But it was a nice thought.  
  
“’s why I’m a writer,” Jensen shrugs. “Anyway, overactive imagination or not, I just… I couldn’t walk away.”  
  
“What’d you do?” She’s got that whole disappointed mother voice going on and even at thirty-two, it makes Jensen cringe and feel like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  
  
“In the chaos of the raid, I broke in and took Jared,” Jensen answers simply, forcing himself to keep eye contact.  
  
“Jensen,” she gasps, blinking owlishly. “You could’ve gotten into trouble…”  
  
“Chris and Steve just assumed he escaped. I… didn’t correct them. He was in terrible shape, for a long while after that. He needed somewhere safe, needed someone to take care of him. They… God, mom,” he breathes, shaking his head, throat tightening again. “The things they did to him.” At her confused look, Jensen adds softly, “Chris and Steve stopped by after cleaning the place out, on the way back to the station. They had a bunch of tapes. I took one… I know that I shouldn’t’ve but I just… I don’t even know why but I had to know. They… they beat him and tortured him and abused him in ways that I’m not gonna spell out but I’m sure you can figure out yourself.”  
  
“Oh God,” she whispers, one hand coming up to her chest. “You mean…”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen grits out. “The bastards took money for it. Kept Jared chained in that cage and let just anyone…” He cuts himself off, shaking his head. “Anyway. It took time but I nursed him back to health as best as I could. Did some research on werecats, found out what I could. They’re rarer than werewolves, pretty extremely isolated. It blew my mind finding out that things like this even exist, ya know? But here I had one, living in my damn garage…”  
  
“Jensen Ross!” his mother gasps, frowning. “After everything that poor creature went through, you kept him in the garage?!”  
  
“First off, can you not call him a creature? Werecats are extremely humanlike, extremely intelligent. And secondly, I wasn’t gonna force him to do anything, mom. He was more comfortable in there at first. Eventually he came inside,” Jensen adds, unable to keep from smiling softly.  
  
“Took a bit, but I finally got him talking to me. The men from this ‘circus’ took him at the age of fourteen and kept him locked up for six damn years. His pride,” Jensen barely resists growling, that shit still pisses him off, even two years later, especially after last month, “wouldn’t have taken him back…”  
  
“What? Why? He was kidnapped, abused, that’s not his fault.”  
  
“Of course, that was my point too. But apparently as humans, we can’t understand pride or how it works. And I don’t want to. Anyway, he explained that he couldn’t go home, would never be able to find a mate. So he stayed here. We… fell in love. And as an omega werecat, he can…” Jensen cuts himself off and gets up, grabs the picture off the mantle then sits back down on the couch next to his mom. “These are our kids. They’re a little over a year old,” he whispers, smiling softly. “Two girls and a boy.”  
  
She takes the picture from him, fingers brushing over the glass, tracing each small face in turn. “I have three new grandbabies and you waited a year,” she states slowly. “Were you ever going to tell me?” she asks, looking back up at him.  
  
“Eventually, yeah, I knew I’d have to. But I… Mom, I didn’t… Jared’s been through so much and I just wanted to protect him. And, honestly, for the first year of their lives, they were kittens. I knew this would freak you out and I didn’t wanna risk…”  
  
“Jensen,” she sighs, gently setting aside the picture before turning to him, taking his hands into her own. “Sure, it’s a hell of a story. And yes, I’m… shocked by a lot of it. But I’m not uncaring or heartless.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen sighs. “I just… Can you understand where I’m comin’ from though? Jared has a tail and cat ears in human form. It’s obvious he’s not human. And with what he went through…”  
  
“I understand,” she interrupts softly. “I do,” she chuckles softly when his eyes snap up to hers. “It doesn’t hurt any less but I understand that you love this young man and that you wanted to protect him. You have a huge heart, Jensen. You always have. It’s not surprising to me what happened.” Her brow furrows slightly and she looks around the room again briefly. “Where are they?”  
  
“Outside,” Jensen smiles. “Playing in the grass.” She chuckles and Jensen shrugs a shoulder. “Cats, ya know?” He stands up and helps her to her feet. “C’mon,” he urges, leading her into the kitchen. They both stand at the double glass doors leading into the backyard, watching as Jared and the kids play, running and chasing, tackling and rolling in the grass.  
  
“They’re beautiful,” his mom says softly. Jensen smiles and wraps his arm around her shoulders, squeezing gently. She glances up at him, smiling as well. “May I meet them?”  
  
“Yeah,” he breathes. “Can you just… Wait in the living room? Lemme go talk to Jared?”  
  
“Of course, sweetheart.”  
  
Jensen waits until she’s back in the living room before opening the door and stepping out into the backyard. The kids don’t see him at first but Jared does immediately. He trots over to Jensen, shifting midstride, arms automatically coming up to curl around Jensen’s shoulders as soon as he’s close enough.  
  
“Thought you were workin’?” Jared asks softly, nuzzling against his cheek.  
  
XXX  
  
Jensen’s arms slide around Jared’s waist and Jared purrs happily, sliding his nose down Jensen’s cheek, inhaling deeply to catch him mate’s scent. He pulls away with a frown, his nose wrinkled. Not only does Jensen smell worried but there’s a light, flowery scent that Jared’s never smelled before. “Jensen?” he whispers, eyes wide.  
  
Jensen sighs softly, brings one hand up to palm the back of his head, keeping him still in order to brush a soft, sweet kiss to his lips. “My mom’s here, Jay,” he says quietly.  
  
Jared can’t help it. He panics. No one has ever been to the house, none of Jensen’s friends or family and the kids are running around behind him, still in their fur and after the complete cluster-fuck that visiting his own family had been… Jensen’s hands are on his face, green eyes wide and worried as he says Jared’s name. “Baby, calm down. It’s okay, I promise.”  
  
Jared blinks, feels his body relax almost against his will. Jensen’s calm, reassuring voice washes through him and he melts against Jensen’s chest. “Does she know?” Jared whispers. He’s not even sure what he means. Does she know about him? About the kids? About what happened to him?  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen sighs, tucking Jared’s head under his jaw. “I told her pretty much everything.” Jared tenses up again, ready to pull away, ready to grab his kids and run. He’s not sure where, he’s not even sure why, but he’s just terrified that something bad is about to happen. “Jared, it’s okay,” Jensen repeats. “She’s not gonna hurt you,” and because Jensen knows him so well, knows that it’s not really himself he’s afraid for, “and she sure as hell isn’t gonna hurt them. She wants to meet you. Wants to meet her grandbabies.”  
  
Even a month later, even knowing that it would probably happen, it still freaking hurts that his own parents didn’t even acknowledge his children other than to get them out of the room before they talked. Jared knows damn-well that if he’d decided to go back to the pride, to take Stephen up on his offer, his children wouldn’t have been welcome.  
  
Jensen squeezes him gently, rubbing his back, humming low in his throat – that almost-purr that he does, trying to mimic the sound Jared makes – and he can’t help but smile despite the fear still rushing through him. “I’d never let anyone hurt you or them,” Jensen whispers, kissing the side of his head. “Even my own mom, sweetheart.”  
  
Jared knows that. Deep down, he knows. Sighing softly, he pulls his head back, flashing Jensen a slightly strained smile and brushes a kiss to his lips. “She knows everything, about me, the kids, all of it?”  
  
“Mostly. I skipped a lot of the grittier details and simplified a lot. But yeah, she knows enough to get the picture.”  
  
“Okay,” Jared breathes. “Help me wrangle them up.”  
  
Stopping the triplets from playing whatever the hell game they were playing takes no time at all. As soon as Jensen steps away from Jared and drops down onto his knees, all three of them barrel towards him, meowing and purring, butting their furry heads against his stomach. Jared chuckles softly, shaking his head. They truly love their papa and despite the closer bond that Jared shares with them, they have a different, almost stronger bond with Jensen.  
  
Getting them to shift however is a trying endeavor. Jared understands, of course he does, he feels more comfortable, more natural, in his fur as well, but right now, he really needs them to shift. Jensen’s mother may know the truth but he highly doubts meeting her grandchildren for the first time as kittens is a great idea.  
  
He plops down in the grass next to Jensen and after a lot of coaxing, they eventually have their hands full of three squirming human toddlers. Three sets of identical emerald-green eyes blink owlishly up at Jensen as he explains that they have company, that his mom – their grandma – is there to visit. They’re trying hard to understand, Jared knows, but they don’t really get it.  
  
Picking up both girls, Jared follows Jensen and their son inside. Sitting on the couch is a woman probably around his own mother’s age. Jensen looks a bit like her, especially when she turns toward them and smiles, the same green eyes that Jensen has, that their kids have, crinkling at the corners. She pushes herself up off the couch and stands in front of them, her gaze moving over the kids and Jared. He tries to smile back, tries not to tense up, to remember what Jensen promised – what Jared already knows; Jensen will never let anything happen to them – but he’s still afraid. Her scent is soft, calm, warm like Jensen’s but sweet like flowers.  
  
“Jared, it’s very nice to meet you. My name’s Donna.”  
  
“Very nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Jared stammers.  
  
“Oh, now,” she huffs, waving one hand, “none of that ma’am stuff. We’re family.” Jared’s eyes sting. His parents didn’t even introduce themselves to Jensen.  
  
Thankfully, Jensen swoops in before Jared can start crying and blubbering and embarrass himself even more. “And these are the terrible three.” Jared rolls his eyes at his mate, huffing out a fake put-upon sigh. Jensen just grins at him, eyes sparkling. “Hope and Faith,” Jensen adds, pointing at each girl in turn. “And this little guy is Jason.”  
  
“Jason?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen cringes, throwing a glare at Jared before turning back to his mom. “For Jay and Jensen. Get it? Jared came up with it.”  
  
“I like it,” Jared pouts. He can’t help it, he still thinks it’s cute. Would’ve been even better if Jensen would’ve let him spell it the way he wanted.  
  
“I do too,” Donna smiles. “Be nice to your boyfriend, Jensen Ross.”  
  
“Mate,” Jensen and Jared correct at the same time.  
  
Oh, sorry. Mate, of course.”  
  
The kids are starting to get fussy, squirming around and clinging. It’s well past naptime. “Jen,” Jared murmurs, cringing a little.  
  
“I know, sweetheart,” Jensen replies softly. “Mom, it’s naptime for these guys. Actually well past. Give us a minute?”  
  
“Of course, dear,” Donna smiles, shooing them down the hall. “I’ll just wait here for y’all to get back.”  
  
They’re quiet as they put the kids down. They’re out pretty much immediately. Jared wants to hide out in here with them. Jensen wraps his arms around Jared from behind, his chin on Jared’s shoulder. “You okay?”  
  
“I… don’t know,” Jared answers honestly. “It’s… It’s just a lot, Jen.”  
  
“I know, baby,” Jensen brushes a kiss to his jaw, nuzzles the side of his face, “Want me to get rid’a her?”  
  
“She’s your mom,” Jared sighs.  
  
“And you’re my mate, my priority. If you’re not comfortable…”  
  
“It’s okay,” Jared replies softly, turning in Jensen’s arms, leaning against his chest. “She’s nice. And I’m not gonna try and keep you from your family. Or them from you. Plus, it’ll be nice for the kids to have at least one set of grandparents.”  
  
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Jensen murmurs, brushing a kiss to his lips.  
  
“Definitely not your fault,” Jared flashes him a sad smile.  
  
“I’ll share mine with you,” Jensen whispers, pulling him impossibly closer.  
  
Jared huffs out a watery chuckle and nuzzles under Jensen’s jaw for a moment. He closes his eyes and lets his mate’s familiar warmth settle him. “Okay,” he breathes. “Let’s go.”  
  
“Jay,” Jensen stops him before he can leave the room. “You… You’re amazing. And I love you.”  
  
Jared smiles and shakes his head fondly. “And you’re a sap. But I love you, too.”  
  
They find Donna looking through a photo album when they got back into the living room. Once the kids were born, Jared had become obsessed with taking pictures of them. The particular album she’s looking at is from their first few months and Jared feels that panic start to rise in him again. What if this freaks her out?  
  
She glances up when she hears them enter the room. “They’re just beautiful, boys,” she says softly. “I wish I’d met them when they were still so little.”  
  
Jared glances at Jensen, brow furrowed, unsure. “I, uh, she saw y’all when you were outside,” Jensen whispers. “Figured that I’d let her see…” he trails off, shrugging one shoulder. Jared gets it. Let her see her grandchildren, her son’s mate, in their natural forms and if she didn’t freak, then actually introduce them.  
  
Jared nods, feeling oddly exposed. He gets why Jensen did it but Jensen is the only human that has seen his cat form. He sort of figured it would always be that way. But Jensen was right. If she couldn’t handle it, there was no sense in introducing them. The kids he could’ve gotten away with but not Jared, not with his ears and his tail.  
  
XXX  
  
Jared is pressed tight against his side, so Jensen wraps an arm around his waist and turns to press a kiss to his temple. His mom makes a soft, pleased noise in the back of her throat – she’s been worried about Jensen ending up alone for years and apparently she’s ecstatic that he’s not going to be now. They make a bit of small talk – plans to visit more, to include the whole family, what to do for the holidays – but she thankfully leaves pretty soon after. It’s not that Jensen really wants her to leave but he can feel Jared nearly vibrating out of his skin and as much as he loves him mom, he meant what he told Jared – him, the kids, _they’re_ his priority.  
  
Once Jensen closes the door behind her, after a hug and a kiss to the cheek, he finds Jared still standing in the living room, looking a little lost and helpless – not unlike he looked when Jensen first brought him home.  
  
“Baby?” Jensen asks softly, carefully.  
  
Jared blinks and looks at him finally and that lost look goes away. “Yeah?”  
  
Jensen pulls him into his arms, hands shoving under his shirt, fingers brushing the small of his back. Jared starts purring softly. “You okay?” Jensen asks despite the purr.  
  
“Yeah,” Jared smiles, a little dimmer than usual, but still enough to warm Jensen’s heart. “I’m okay. Promise. It’s just… A lot. Like I said before.” He pulls away from Jensen, much to Jensen’s surprise and disappointment, and starts idly picking up stuff around the living room. Jared fiddles when he’s upset or nervous or overwhelmed. “Before you, my interactions with humans were… Well, you know,” Jared huffs, glancing quickly at Jensen before focusing on his mindless cleaning. “And I’ve gotten so used to it just being me and you. And it’s been a long time since I was a part of a family, aside from you and the kids. And I just…”  
  
Jensen grabs his shoulders, stopping him midsentence, the toys that he’d picked up falling back to the floor. “Hey, shh,” Jensen murmurs. Jared also babbles when he’s upset or nervous or overwhelmed. Which Jensen thinks is just Goddamn adorable, especially when he thinks about how hard it was to get Jared to talk to him at first, how much Jared struggled. “It’s okay, Jay.”  
  
Jared huffs a sigh, his shoulders slumping. “I know,” he breathes. “And I don’t even know why I’m all… whatever,” he waves one hand, wrinkling his nose, his ears flicking irritably, “I guess I’m just still upset about my own family and I don’t know how to deal with yours. And I’m so afraid I’m gonna mess up…”  
  
“You’re not gonna mess up. My mom adored you.” Jared raises one eyebrow, lips twisted in a confused half-pout, half-scowl. “I can tell, Jared. She’s my mom. And she’s beyond thrilled that I have someone in my life, that I’m not rotting alone up here all by myself and that I’m not gonna die some lonely, bitter bachelor. And the rest of my family will feel the same.”  
  
“I’m… different, Jen,” Jared whispers, glancing at him through his lashes and the soft curtain of his bangs. “Not everyone’s okay with that.”  
  
“My family will be,” Jensen ensures softly. “Promise. And besides, they hardly come here. I mean, sure, we’re not gonna be able to avoid them forever, especially my mom now that she knows there are kids to spoil. But it’s not gonna be a lot. It’s still gonna be mostly just me and you and the kids.”  
  
Jared smiles again, bigger and brighter, and cuddles up against his chest. “Hm,” he hums happily. “I like that.”  
  
“Me, too,” Jensen murmurs, sliding his arms around Jared, hugging him close.  
  
Jared nuzzles under his jaw and Jensen closes his eyes, can already feel the first stirring of arousal. But Jared pulls away again, nose wrinkled. “What’s wrong?” Jensen frowns.  
  
“You… It’s not bad,” Jared explains quickly. Jensen raises an eyebrow. “But you don’t… smell like you,” Jared mutters softly.  
  
Sometimes Jensen forgets about Jared’s overly sensitive nose. “Sorry, baby,” he chuckles softly, tugging Jared up against him again. “Wanna take a shower with me? Make sure I smell like me again?”  
  
“Jen, the kids…”  
  
“Are asleep,” Jensen interrupts softly. “And we can take the monitor in there with us.” He slides his hands down Jared’s back, over the swell of his ass, his cock twitching when Jared moans softly. He kisses the corner of Jared’s mouth, slides his lips down over his cheek, the hinge of his jaw, gently scraping his teeth over the sensitive flesh. “What’d’ya say, sweetheart?”  
  
Jared’s pretty much melted against his chest and Jensen can already smell the slight sweetness of his arousal. “O-okay,” Jared breathes.  
  
Jensen walks Jared backward toward the bathroom, hands still on his ass, fingers kneading the firm, muscular globes. Jared’s mouthing at his jaw, his neck, purring loudly, their hips bumping together with every other step. Jensen stops beside the door to their bedroom, pushing Jared up against the wall, kissing him deep and wet and dirty. Jared moans, brings one leg up, wrapping it around Jensen’s hips, clawing at his shoulders. Jared’s tall but he’s still lean and it doesn’t take much to slide his hands down just a bit and lift. Jared squeaks – there’s no other word for it – and quickly wraps his other leg around Jensen, clinging tight with his thighs and arms.  
  
“Jensen,” he breathes, breaking the kiss, head thunking back against the wall. Jensen drags his lips down the long, beautiful arch of Jared’s neck, biting at the crook of his shoulder, hard enough to mark, knowing damn-well that Jared loved it. Sure enough, Jared moans again, back arching, grinding his hard cock against Jensen’s stomach.  
  
Staying right there, fucking Jared just like this, is so damn tempting. But they are literally right across the hall from the mostly open door to their children’s room and he’d already gotten the image of a wet Jared into his head. Reluctantly, he lowers Jared back to the floor, holding on to make sure that he keeps his balance. Jared blinks his dark eyes open, his kiss-bruised lips parted, his chest heaving slightly, hair a mess of sweat-damp waves and curls. He’s so unfairly beautiful it makes Jensen ache.  
  
“Jensen?”  
  
“Hold that thought, baby,” Jensen murmurs, voice already fucked-out, low and rough.  
  
Jared blinks owlishly and nods, turning his head to watch silently as Jensen quickly darts into their bedroom and grabs the baby monitor off the night stand on Jared’s side of the bed. His mate smiles sweetly at him, his cheeks tinted a soft petal-pink. Jensen smiles back and grabs Jared’s hand, their fingers lacing together as he tugs Jared into the bathroom, closing the door behind them.  
  
He sets the monitor down then turns to Jared, hands on his lean hips, leaning him against the counter. They kiss again, somewhere between slow and sweet and wet and desperate. He tugs Jared’s clothes off while their lips and tongues slide together, hands in constant motion, smoothing over warm, bare, sweat-slick skin. Jared mewls when Jensen’s hands slip around and over his ass, hips jerking slightly. Sliding one hand a bit further, his fingers brush the crease, groaning low in his throat when he feels how wet Jared already is. Two years and he still can’t get enough of it, _loves_ that he turns Jared on that much, leaves him leaking like a busted pipe. Honestly, he doubts he’ll ever get enough.  
  
He knows Jared doesn’t need it but he still teases two fingers over his hole, tips barely sinking into the tight, wet heat. Jared pulls away from the kiss with a harsh gasp, his head falling against Jensen’s shoulder. “Please,” Jared whispers, soft, breathless.  
  
“Please what, baby?”  
  
“Don’t tease, love,” Jared murmurs, nuzzling under Jensen’s jaw.  
  
Jensen kisses the side of his head and pulls away long enough to strip off his own clothes quickly and get the shower started. Jared’s plastered to his side before he even turns back around, kissing his shoulder, one hand sliding down Jensen’s stomach, long, slender fingers teasing through the hair beneath his navel. He moans and slides his arm around Jared, once again palming his ass. “C’mon, sweetheart,” Jensen urges, pulling Jared with him into the shower.  
  
The water is nice and warm and Jensen backs Jared up under the stream, hands and mouth chasing the rivulets running down over his shoulders and chest. Jared keens, his head dropping back, his long, dark hair plastering to his head. “So beautiful,” Jensen murmurs, mostly thinking out-loud.  
  
“Jen, please,” Jared begs softly.  
  
Jensen kisses him, short and chaste. “Turn around for me, Jay?” he asks quietly.  
  
Jared does, bracing himself against the slick tiles, weight on his forearms, legs spread, ass tilted up and back. Jensen groans, hands sliding down Jared’s sides as he presses up against him, his cock rubbing between the cheeks of his ass, sliding through his natural lubrication. He mouths at the back of Jared’s shoulder, his neck, and reaches between them, blindly lining himself up. He sinks in slowly, Jared opening up around him but still tight, hot and perfectly slick.  
  
Jared’s head drops forward, his forehead pressing against the wall, whole body trembling. Jensen doesn’t wait, falls immediately into a steady, even rhythm, angled just right to hit that sweet spot perfectly on every thrust. Jensen presses as close as possible against his back, one arm around his lean waist, the other stretched out, palm against the wall. Jared moves his hand over just a bit, threads his fingers through Jensen’s, gripping tightly as he pushes back into each roll of Jensen’s hips.  
  
“Feels so good, baby,” Jensen murmurs against the side of Jared’s face.  
  
Jared turns his head, pressing a slightly off-center kiss to his lips. “Always,” he breathes. “Always so amazing. Love you so much, Jen.”  
  
“Love you too, baby,” Jensen whispers back, kissing Jared again, nuzzling their cheeks together.  
  
He’s already so close, the feeling of Jared all around him, the sounds his beautiful mate is making, all of it pushing him even closer. He reaches down and curls his fingers around Jared’s long, thick cock, smearing through the pre-come leaking from his tip, curling around the base. Jared moans, drops his head back against Jensen’s shoulder, hips jerking forward into his hand, back against his cock.  
  
“Gonna,” Jared gasps. “Jen…”  
  
“Do it,” Jensen urges, scraping his teeth over the hinge of Jared’s jaw.  
  
Jared cries out softly, whole body freezing for a split second before his cock pulses in Jensen’s hand, thick spurts of his release hitting the shower wall. He melts back against Jensen, shivering and writhing, mewling and whimpering, as Jensen works him through it. He can’t hold back his own release any longer, pushing in deep, coming before Jared even stops shaking. He pushes closer, tucking his hips up against Jared’s ass, staying buried inside his mate until he softens to the point that he can’t.  
  
Jared turns around and smiles beautifully, arms sliding around his shoulders to pull him into a kiss. They wash up quickly then take turns drying each other off. They part in the hallway with a kiss and a smile – Jared to check on the kids and Jensen back to his office to get some more work done.  
  
For the moment, things are perfectly back to normal, just him, Jared and their kids. Jensen’s more than okay with that.  
  



End file.
